Thorns
by thisblissfulmoment
Summary: Lena was a close friend of Bolin and Mako before she was sent to spend 18 months in the fire nation with her father, a wealthy architect and a commander for the United Forces. After 18 months of intense training, she has returned to Republic City to find that her relationships have changed dramatically with the arrival of the avatar. Bad summary, the story will be better.
1. Prologue

Quick note: I'm terrible at writing prologues and summaries, but if I don't give you some sort of background information, then you'll never have any idea as to what on earth is going on in this story and who this character is. This story will contain a fair amount of romance, love triangles/squares/other polynomials, and plenty of heartbreak to go around, and it probably won't have some kind of insanely happy ending. This story will be centered on an OC and there will be at least one other OC in the story. I'll try to make them as realistic as possible, and I'll try not to royally ruin the storyline with this character's presence.

* * *

The letter sat on his desk among a stack of others that she had sent to him. Each letter penned in her messy, uneven handwriting smeared by her left hand rubbing against the paper as she wrote. She had written to him eighteen times while she was gone, one letter for each month that she would be separated from him. He grinned from ear to ear each time he received one of the glossy envelopes addressed in her penmanship. It was almost sickening how quickly she had been replaced by another girl.

With a disgusted expression on his face, Mako stared at the pile of letters sitting on Bolin's desk. Lena had been Bolin's best friend before she left and she had spent all the free time she had writing letters to him. If she knew that he was out parading through Republic City with Korra on his arm, then her heart would be shattered. The look he pictured on her face nearly broke his own heart.

With a heavy sigh, Mako stood up and grabbed the most recent letter from the desk. The letter had arrived only two weeks earlier. Bolin had practically danced upon reading the news of Lena's return to Republic City. He couldn't wait to have his best friend back, but now he had forgotten all about her coming, and Mako had begun to wonder if Bolin had forgotten about Lena entirely. Mako's eyes scanned the pages, searching for some sort of date. Having found what he was looking for, his eyes stopped. "I'll be arriving in the port at 11:30 on the 17th of September, please meet my ship so that we can catch up. I've missed you greatly."

Mako checked the calendar on the wall behind him. Today was the 17th, and it was already 11. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he slid on his jacket and shoes and headed out to the port. Bolin and Korra had gone out after practice and he hadn't seen them since. He didn't want to see the look on Lena's face when she found him standing at the docks without Bolin, but he supposed that she'd much rather have one of her friends than neither of them.

* * *

Lena stepped gently onto the dock, the soft sole of her shoe making a delicate sound as it impacted the wood. With the wind blowing stray pieces of dark hair into her face, she looked around the docks for a familiar face. She was hoping to be pulled into one of Bolin's hugs as soon as she found the bending brothers. She had even taken the time to find something for each of her friends while she was in the fire nation. The two packages were drawn tightly to her torso as she searched, her dark ponytail fluttering gently in the sea breeze.

"Lena!" A familiar voice called out to her and she spun about on her heal. Standing before her was a tall, slender young man with dark, messy hair. His gray jacket billowed in the breeze and the tail of his crimson scarf drifted out behind him. Lena could see the faint lines of his muscles through his sleeves and undershirt. "Mako!" She cried out in return, darting over to encircle him in a hug. She handed him one of the paper-wrapped packages and smiled.

"Where's Bolin?" She asked, her expression of joy fading to one of curiosity. Mako shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, his golden eyes averted and cast downward at the dock. He wasn't sure how to tell her the truth, but he knew that she would learn soon enough. "He's out with a girl." He turned his eyes back up to meet her intense topaz gaze and he watched as her expression flashed with pain and confusion before quickly melting into a perfectly neutral mask. "Oh." She replied, trying very hard to pretend that she didn't care.


	2. 1: (A relevant and creative title here)

Quick note: This chapter will skip ahead to the main story line, the prologue was just meant to introduce my OC.

Disclaimer: I don't own the legend of korra and this story is not canon.

* * *

Having tossed and turned all night, Lena awoke with stiffness in her muscles and a constant ache in her neck. Her eyes stung from sleep deprivation and her muscles screamed in protest as she climbed out of bed. She rubbed at her burning eyes and stretched her tense shoulders. Her normally delicate mask had faded and the true, calculating, sharp-witted, rough-edged girl shone through.

Lena's eyes scanned the walls of the room, taking in the familiar sights. Everything was exactly as she had left it, something that did not surprise her. Her eyes moved from the walls to the swirled marble floors. The gentle streaks of silver and black swirled through the stone like fruit through yogurt. This was the home she admired, her father's ideal layout paired with her mother's interior decorating skills had created this house, and Lena had grown up in this house. This house was her comfort zone and the sight of many of her fondest memories.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door that led out into the hallway. Her bare feet made no sound as she slipped down the hallway. She moved soundlessly down the grand stair case of the house, her fingers running down the smooth, mahogany banister. She reached the lower floor of the house and found her way into the dining room, where plates of food adorned the mahogany table. She took her normal spot across from her mother and smiled gently.

"Good morning mother," said she, her voice as smooth as glass.

"Good morning Lena," replied her mother, smiling warmly at her. Lena took a sip of the water that sat before her and stared at the mango yogurt and cream cheese covered bagel before her. She spooned some of the thick yogurt into her mouth, the rich taste of the mango tempting her taste buds. She quickly polished off the yogurt and chased it down with her bagel. As she stood up from the table, her mother looked up at her.

"Lena, there's going to be a welcome home gala for you and the others who just returned from the Fire Nation. It's tonight at 8. Why don't you invite Mako and Bolin and your other friends?" Her mother's smooth, sweet voice filled the air. Lena hadn't seen Mako since the day she arrived and she hadn't seen Bolin at all. She sighed heavily.

"Alright mother," she replied before exiting the room. She climbed back up the stairs, knowing that she would have to choose a gown for the gala. She pulled open her closet doors and stepped into the room. Her gowns were hung in a neat row on one side of the closet. She stepped over to the row of flowing fabric and elegant beads and pulled a gown off the rack.

The gown was a multi-layered ball gown with a burnt orange under layer and a sheer, deep burgundy over layer. This had been the gown she wore at the welcome ball that was held when she and the other firebenders had arrived at the Fire Nation's Special Training Academy. She held the dress against her frame and spun around, allowing her favorite memory of the night to cascade over her.

* * *

_She stood off to the side of the elegant ballroom, hoping that no one would spot her. She loved dancing, but she didn't really enjoy dancing with strangers. As she attempted to hide behind some of the other girls, she met the eyes of a handsome young man. He was muscular, square-jawed, and had a mop of dark hair that fell slightly over his forehead. His golden eyes turned up at the corners as he flashed her a crooked smiled._

_He had on a maroon united forces dress uniform that slung tightly to his muscular frame. He walked across the room, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. The girls she hid behind straightened themselves, all three of them thinking that they were the one who had captured his attention. We he stepped around them, their eyes fell onto Lena, whom they glared at before tilting their chins into the air and turning around._

"_So, aside from hiding in corners and looking gorgeous, what do you plan to do tonight?" His voice was rich and warm and it sent a flurry of butterflies storming into her stomach. Confidence seemed to ooze from his pores and coat his skin. His posture was strong and attention grabbing and his smile was dizzying._

"_Well, I was planning on watching these girls circle you like vultures, but now that you're here I suppose I could add dancing with you to my list." Lena replied, offering him a smirk. She raised her left eyebrow and slightly narrowed her golden eyes. He held her gaze and smirked in return, raising his right eyebrow to mirror her._

"_I was hoping you'd say that." He replied, extending one of his large hands to her. She placed one of her dainty hands into his and allowed him to sweep her out onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his strong arms and guided her elegantly around the ball room. Their eyes were locked on each other's, smiles lighting up their faces. They danced for what seemed like ages, laughing and smiling and changing pace to match the beat of the changing songs._

_At last, the festivities were coming to an end and the band ceased its playing. Lena smiled warmly at the handsome young man she had been dancing with as he led her off the floor. He led her over to the table where the remaining refreshments were laid out. He ladled punch into two glasses and handed her one, which she gladly accepted. She hadn't had anything to drink all night._

"_I'm sorry Miss, but I don't believe that I caught your name." He blushed and ran his fingers through his hair. Lena giggled as the warmth rushed to her cheeks. She hadn't realized that she had forgotten to introduce herself._

"_I'm Lena," she replied, covering her flushed cheeks with her hands._

"_I'm Iroh," he added, smiling softly at her. They stood in silence for a few moments before the headmaster sent everyone to their dorms. Iroh took Lena's hand and kissed it softly before he left, leaving her standing alone in the ball room with a star-struck expression on her face._

* * *

Once Lena had returned to the present, she returned the gown to the rack. She knew that if she wore it, she would think of nothing but the academy and Iroh, and she didn't want to be up all night pacing through her room wishing that she knew where he was, what he was doing, and with whom he might be doing those things. He had gotten into her head that night and she couldn't seem to get him out of it. Every time they passed in the corridors or were partnered for a training exercise, that night kept coming up in her mind, and he'd smile at her and whisper smart remarks to the trainer's instructions in her ear. They spent too much time together outside of class, most of that time spent exploring the expansive academy grounds and stirring up trouble. But now, all of that was over. He was out somewhere leading the United Forces and she was back in Republic City. What they had together was now nothing more than a memory, no matter how much that hurt.

She pulled a shimmery turquoise gown from the rack. The gown had a silver underskirt and a beautiful, full skirt with beaded pick-ups. The gown had been made for her while she was in the Fire Nation and this was the first time she had seen it. She ran he hand along the corseted bodice of the dress, admiring its beading. The back of the gown laced up with spaces between the thick, silver ribbon that would reveal her porcelain skin. This gown would be perfect for tonight.

Now that she had chosen a gown, there was only one thing left to do and that was to find her friends and invite them to join the party. She changed into a pair of gray cloth pants that fit tightly around her legs and a loose fitting orange and maroon striped sweater. She left her dark brown hair flowing over her shoulders and she exited her closet, grabbing the keys to her Sato mobile as she exited her room.

* * *

Note: to avoid making this ridiculously long, I'll leave it off there and pick it up the story in chapter two. (:


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